Infant&#39;s garment



I. M. RIGGS INFANTS GARMENT April 5, 1949.

Filed April 20, 1948 m n e s m a 3 G l 2 E m M f (Ittornegs Patented Apr. 5, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE INFANTS GARMENT Ila Mae Riggs, Montgomery, Ala.

Application April 20, 1948, Serial No. 22,080

Claims.

My present invention relates to an infant's garment and has for an object the provision of a garment especially adapted to serve both as an outer garment and as a holder for an absorbent, disposable pad or diaper.

Another object is to provide a garment of the character designated which is secured to the infants body by cloth tie strings, carried on the upper edge of the front and rear portions of the garment, and embodying side flaps disposed to fold over the tie strings, together with buttonless and pinless fastening means for securing the flaps, whereby when the garment is in place on the body, the cloth tie strings are substantially inaccessible to the infant and concealed from view.

Another object of my invention is to provide a garment of the character described which shall provide maximum coverage for the infants body, especially at the sides, by providing side flaps foldable around the sides of the body and secured by straps to the front or abdominal portion of the garment.

In the art to which my invention relates, garments heretofore have been provided wherein the front and back portions were secured together after being placed around the body by means of cloth tie strings, snaps, buttons and the like. In all such garments with which I am familiar, the fastening means for the front and back have been left exposed where they are accessible to the infant for untying, unbuttoning, or unsnapping. Neat appearance as well as the utility of such garments have thus been considerably lessened.

It is the prime object of my invention to overcome the above difiiculties and to provide an infants garment of the character designated which shall be simple and inexpensive, neat in appearance, and be so held about the body that the infant cannot remove the same.

A garment embodying the features of my invention is illustrated in (the accompanying drawing forming a part of this application in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the garment in unfolded position, as viewed from the inside thereof, and showing a disposable pad or diaper in place;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing the outer surface of the garment;

Fig. 3 is a .front elevational view showing the front portion of the garment secured by the tie strings to the back portion thereof, the side flaps for covering the tie strings being in unfolded position; and,

Fig. 4 is a front elevational view of the garment as the same would appear when Worn by an infant.

provide free ends I3 and I4.

Referring now to the drawings for a better understanding of my invention, my improved garment comprises a body 10 preferably made of water repellent cloth and cut generally in plan to the shape of an hour glass. The back portion B of the body is slightly wider than the front portion F thereof as shown clearly in Figs. 1 and 2, and the entire periphery of the :body may be bound with bias tape 1 I in the customary manner.

Slightly below the upper edge of the back portin B, and on the inside thereof, I secure by sewing a length of cloth tape or the like I2. The stitching stops short of the ends of the tape, thereby to On the outer surfaceof the front corners l6 and I! of the front portion F I secure by stitching a pair of tie strings l8 and I9.

On the outer surface of the front portion F adjacent the upper edge and centrally of the width thereof, I secure by stitching a cloth strap 2|. The stitching stops short of the ends of the strap 2| thereby leaving free ends 22 and 23. On the corners 24 and 26 of the back portion B, on the outside surface thereof, I provide a pair of ring fasteners 21 and 28. The ring fasteners are secured to the corners 24 and 26 by means of straps 29 and 3|, passing through the rings and sewed to the corners.

On the inner surfaces of the back and front portions B and F, I sew the ends of a pair of straps 32 and 33. The straps 32 and 33 are left unsewed along the central portions thereof, whereby a disposable pad or diaper 34 may have its ends engaged behind the straps, thereby to hold the same place.

From the foregoing the method of constructing and using my improved garment will be readily understood. As stated, the body I0 preferably is made of a relatively heavy water repellent fabric, .cut to hour glass formation in plan view, the front portion F being slightly narrower than the back portion B. The binding is placed around the edges and the straps, tie strings, and ring fasteners are sewed in place. The disposable pad 34 is placed behind the straps 32 and 33 simply by inserting the ends of the pad beneath the straps, and the garment is ready for placing about the infants body. The back and front portions are brought up about the body, and the tie strings l3l8 and l4l 9 are tied in a bow knot in the manner shown in Fig. 3. This leaves the corners 24 and 26 of the back portion B to be folded around the side of the infant's body and over the resulting bow knots formed by the tie strings. The corners 24 and 26 are now. folded around the infant's body, and-the ends 22. and I 23 of the straps, 2!; are inserted through both rings of their respective pair of rings, thence over one of the rings and under the other, thereby making a non-slip connection. Thus positioned, it will be apparent that the corners 24 and 26 completely cover and hide the bow knots formed by the tie strings, thus preventing the infant from untying the same and adding materially to .the appearance of the garment. The width of the back portion B may be made more or less greater than? the widthroflthrfront portion F as desired, depending upon'whther or not the garment is to be full or sparingly cut.

Referring again to Fig. 4 of the drawing, I may form the body of the garment of threealayersmf fabric. The two outer layers 26 and 2'! may be. formed of relatively soft water absorhenticloth material, while between thesetwoslayers I may provide a sheet of water proof materia1'38, held at its edges by the stitching used to holdwthe tape H around the periphery of the garment. This roonstructionzprovides a water-proof garment 'while xpreizenting. the relatively rough layerii 8"from' com is-ingin contact with the infan ts :body.

ilItiiSitO bB noted thatthe: strap I 2 is"-slightlybeneathrtheaupper sedge of. the back portion B and :zthatzthe; points. Iofnrattachment 'of the" =f-ree ends zlzarer" removedrinwardlyrxof the body-J from the mcorners 24:.;and :26. 1 .When the freesends' I 3-, and I4 thereofnare':tiedsto'ithe:strings 18'. and l9 the sresultingrknots are'lowenough forithe-corners 24 agandflfizto completely: cover and hide thesame; and '1: lieizinwrardly far :enough to -permit the: corners 24 lziandrz 6 to fold thereover; :In practice, I have -found that agarmentrmade inv accordance-*with my inmention isentirely satisfactory inevery wayand I :that: the samezis neat and pleasing-in appearance. I have also found that no snaps or other-' fasteners ware required itOI. hold; the disposable pad $4 in yplacep'the centrally opens-straps432 v and 33 being entirely:zsatisfactory for that purpose. '-I-he--.-"-ab- .wsenceiofifastening means betWeenZ-the pad-34: and art-he; .garment :makes removal and: replacement r'of lthe cpads much. more .convenient than: in those types "of .garmentswherein such fastening means --'.-::are';employed.

:"Erom -the foregoing; it will be apparentthat I :shave devised anzimproved infants garment: which is simple of manufacture, which embodies portions "ndisposed. to make inaccessible to --the:wearer and hide from .viewlthe securing 'means-"between the" :rfrontzandback portions-thereby makingit difficult for: the: infant-to release the securing meanswa-nd wincreasing: materially: the-: neat appearance 'fof 'the 1. garment. s awhile I have showm my inventiom invbut one :'::.form, it will be obvious to" thoseskilled-in 'theart a; thatitis notso limited,-:butis susceptible of various vkchanges :.."a.nd. modifications, 'without departing s afromJ-the .spirit thereof; and Iudesire; therefore, :th-at zo'nly such' limitations :shallbe placed i theref .upon as arespecifically set forth in the appended :ztclaims.

-What" I .claimds: '3 .z-zIn'an infants garment ofithe charaeter de- :1 scribed, a. 'cloth body of hour iglass formation in Jplan, the :back portion'of the garment-being wider han :the. front- .portion; .afastening means arried n the. inner-: side of the: backportion and con- :z-ne'ctedithereto at -points removedrinwar d'ly ofithe '1: zbody'fromthe corners of the back :complementary izfaste'ningrrmeans carried on the -corners. ata' the .ont'ofl the body,: the cor ners ofthe back portion being: constructed. andearranged. sto overlap Bthe ornerss'ofathe' front portion and; overlieasaid -f as-,

ners to the front portion when in overlapped position with respect thereto.

2. In an infants garment of the character described, a cloth body of hour glass formation in plan, the back portion of the garment being wider than the front portion, tie strings secured to the inside of the back portion at points removed inwardly of the body from the corners of the back portion, tie strings carried on the outside of the lQ-ycomersaaat"thezfrontioflthe bodyiand adapted to *3 "be'tiedwiththe" strings secured'toth'e back portion, the corners of the back portion being con- '.structed and arranged to overlap the corners of ZfthEETflOllt portion and overlie said tie strings, ring .15 fasteners carried on the outside of each of the cornersof'the rear body portion, and a strap securedmottheaouter side of the front of the body portion and having free ends adapted to engage fithe ring fasteners carried on the corners of the 20. back portion, thereby;to secure the back corners overlapped :relation 'with' respect :to :the? front fof thep garment.

13. imam-infants :garment':0f:-the:character:deszscribeds as 'body iOfihOUl; glass'sformation in plan and formed of water repellentcclothgt-heportion xiof-tthebodycformingzthe back :of; the garment bewingezwidenzthan :the:.=portion :formingqt-he "front ;.;athereof, ftheaupper'corners {of :the backbeing disposedto overlaprthe front:corners f thergarment, 30:. aitieistring disposed transversely ofithesback por ."tion zonf the-inside thereof and .slightlyr'below the ugupperiedge of the -back,1said tie stringbeing sewed t'rtomhe; body: along; its central portionthereby to :leavee. a-vpair of free: ends,'=-separate ;-tie "strings 35 sewed on the outereside ofrthe. front cornersof the i body-and disposed. to be tied with .the 'freeends not the.;tier'.string..carried by v ther backerportion, stnapsomthe-front and .rear portions adapted to nreceivethe. ends of a a disposable :pad; :ring .fas- 40,:teners secured. tothe-outensu'rface of. the corners .iof-ztherear portion ,of, the garment. andistraps .on the outer surface of the front of the garment dis- ,aposedetainnerlock withthe r-ingfasteners there- :.;by.to..hold .therear. corners'in overlapped relation 4 ,with. respect to the. front corners.

-.".4;'.;In an infants garment oflthe. character; de- :sci'i bd.- a body formed oficloth .c'utto hour. glass .frshapainplan to provide a garment whereinithe aback portion is wider than the front. portion, the ,corners of .the' front and..back. portions being rounded, aiclothstripoonfthe inner surface ofthe ibackfsli'ghtly. below. theuPper edgeithereof. and having a free end at ea'ch'side tofiprov'ideitie strings connected toilthe b'a'ck at'points inwardly removed "from the rounded. corners. of ilthe back, i. separate cloth tie lstrings sew'ed to the outersurface of each of the'rounded corners bf :the' front portion "and disposed'to' be tied. 'tothe strings; of the back portion,sets ofring fasteners secured to 6 ,theouter surface of each corner'of'the back porftiornahd a clothstrap securedtofthe o'utersu'rface of the"'='front' *portiont adj acent' ithe" upper edge thereof and havingfree ends engageable with the sets of" ring'" fasteners said"- :corners of the rear portion: beingflisposed "to overlap" the 'corners of therfront portion .and'to-"coverthe tie" strings whenithegarm'ent 'is placed on an infants-body.

5. An infants 'garment-'in 'accordance' with claim 4 'in which the body comprises inner and Neuter :layers or water iabsorbent cloth; and an winner -layer ofwaterproof-material.

'- ILA MAE RIGGrS.

t :No' references: cited.

.-...-tening means; aiid-zznieans.torsecureithearearamr 

